Ramming or tamping machine or the like

ABSTRACT

A hand manipulated tamping machine has a diesel engine mounted on the side with its shaft part way down the machine casing. The engine shaft is coupled to an intermediate shaft coaxial therewith. Gears connect the intermediate shaft to a crankshaft positioned above the intermediate shaft. A connecting rod encircles the intermediate shaft and extends from the crankshaft to the spring set which actuates the tamping foot.

United States Patent Waschulewski et a].

[ Dec. 24, 1974 RAMMING OR TAMPING MACHINE OR THE LIKE Inventors:Hans-Georg Waschulewski, Mettmann; Hans Baumers, Dusseldorf-Gerresheim,both of Germany Assignee: Losenhausen Maschinenbau AG,

Dusseldorf-Grafenberg, Germany Filed: July 23, 1973 Appl. No.: 381,325

Foreign Application Priority Data July 25, 1972 Germany 2236371 US. Cl.404/133 Int. Cl. E01c 19/34 Field of Search 404/133 References CitedUNITED STATES PATENTS 5/1954 Maurer 404/133 X 2,903,948 9/l959 Simmonds404/133 3,270,635 9/1966 Kestel 3,376,799 4/1968 Perry 3,636,834 [[1972Waschulewski 404/133 Primary Examiner-Nile C. Byers, Jr. Attorney,Agent, or FirmDarbo, Robertson & Vandenburgh [57] ABSTRACT A handmanipulated tamping machine has a diesel engine mounted on the side withits shaft part way down the machine casing. The engine shaft is coupledto an intermediate shaft coaxial therewith. Gears connect theintermediate shaft to a crankshaft positioned above the intermediateshaft. A connecting rod encircles the intermediate shaft and extendsfrom the crankshaft to the spring set which actuates the tamping foot.

6 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures Patented Dec. 24, 1974 2 Sheets-Sheet 1FIG.1

Patented Dec. 24, 1974 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 RAMMING OR TAMPING MACHINE ORTHE LIKE BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention relatesto a tamping machine which includes an internal combustion engine havingflanges by which it is mounted on the casing of the tamper and powers acrank drive which in turn actuates a spring oscillating set including aramming tool.

In one known machine of this type (see U.S. Pat. No. 3,636,834) themachine comprises an upper casing whose basic shape is cylindrical andon which is a laterally extending, flange-connected two-stroke internalcombustion engine. In this known machine the engine is mounted at thetop of the casing and extends thereabove. An intermediate shaft ismounted in the top part of the casing coaxial with the engine shaft.This intermediate shaft has a pinion which meshes with a gear disposedon a crankshaft mounted in the casing below the intermediate shaft. Aconnecting rod extends from the crankshaft to energize a springoscillating system to perform linear oscillations. This spring systemcomprises a frame having a top cross-member, a bottom cross-member and anumber of parallel rods, the latter being guided in plain bearings atthe bottom end of the casing. The parallel rods are also guided inhearings in a bottom casing which is substantially coaxial of the uppercasing. Springs bear on the top cross-member and bottom cross-member andon the top and bottom of that wall of the lower casing. The lower casingholds the tamping tools and is in sealing-tight engagement with theupper casing by way of bellows. The top wall of the lower casing isformed with an aperture and is full of oil.

The crank drive energizes the spring oscillating set to perform linearoscillations. During the oscillatory motion the bottom cross-member actsas a piston in the tool casing to continuously spray oil into the uppercasing through the aperture for lubrication purposes.

The engine of the known construction extends above the top end of theupper casing, so that air flows freely around all its sides and coolsit. Since a two-stroke engine is fairly light in weight, its position atthe top end of the upper casing does not have disadvantages so far asthe position of the center of gravity of the complete apparatus isconcerned.

Diesel engines devised as flange-mounted engines are known too; however,they are fairly heavy and so have not been used for manually guidedappliances such as ramming or tamping machines.

It is an object of the invention to provide a ramming or tamping machinewhose engine has a longer working life, and costs less to operate, thanthe engines of known machines of the kind. Another object of theinvention is to achieve greater speed stability, and therefore moreuniform operation over a range of stresses, than is possible with theknown machinery. Another object of the invention is to provide a drivingengine which can run at low speeds in operation, thus requiring lessspeed reduction in the gearing and achieving noise reduction.

According to the invention, therefore, in a machine of the kindspecified the internal combustion engine is a flange-mounted dieselengine. A diesel engine has the required characteristics. In accordancewith the present invention problems arising from the greater weight of adiesel engine are solved.

To prevent significantly raising the center of gravity due to theincreased weight of the diesel engine, the engine is positioned on thecasing so that the engine output shaft is at or below the center of thecasing. This feature helps to lower the position of the center ofgravity of the complete machine.

Also, to shift the center of gravity along the engine axis towards themain casing of the appliance, the engine is provided with a heavyflywheel which is on the engine output shaft but is within the casing. Adiesel engine needs a relatively heavy flywheel. The flywheel, whichrepresents a large proportion of engine weight, is shifted into thecasing of the machine. The engine unit is therefore brought nearer thecasing, and so the position of the center of gravity is such that themachine can stand up on its own and can even operate on its own.

Unfortunately, arranging the engine in this way relative to the casingmay bring cooling problems, since the engine is not in such an exposedposition as it is for example in the tamping machine disclosed by U.S.Pat. No. 3,636,834. Advantageously, therefore, a fan rotor is mounted onthe engine shaft; and the casing is formed with apertures through whichair can be taken in to cool the diesel engine.

The drive train needs a minimum casing height to accommodate thereduction gearing, the crankshaft and the connecting rod. The engine ofthe apparatus 'of U.S. Pat. No. 3,636,834 is positioned at the top endof the casing. The drive goes to an intermediate shaft at the top of thecasing, via reduction gearing to the crankshaft below the intermediateshaft; and then a connecting rod extends downwards from the crankshaftto the spring system.

In the present invention an intermediate shaft bearing a pinion ismounted in the casing coaxially of the low-mounted diesel engine outputshaft. The pinion drives a gear on a crankshaft mounted above theintermediate shaft. A connecting rod extends from the crankshaft to thespring oscillating set, with the con necting rod having an aperturethrough which the intermediate shaft having the pinion extends. Thisarrangement makes optimum use of the total height of the machine, andthus to ensure a vertically compact construction.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a longitudinal section through amanually guided diesel-operated tamping or ramming appliance accordingto the invention, and

FIG. 2 is a corresponding view of the device, looking from the left inFIG. I and partly sectioned.

DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENT The following disclosure is offeredfor public dissemination in return for the grant of a patent. Althoughit is detailed to ensure adequacy and aid understanding, this is notintended to prejudice that purpose of a patent which is to cover eachnew inventive concept therein no matter how others may later disguise itby variations in form or additions or further improvements.

A flanged'on diesel engine 10 has an output shaft 12 on which is mounteda large flywheel l1 and a fan rotor 14. The mounting flange of theengine is secured to a casing 16 forming part of the upper or maincasing of the machine. Casing 16 has lateral cooling channels 17 throughwhich cooling air is drawn in by fan rotor 14. This air helps to removethe heat evolved in casing 16. The air is exhausted throught apertureswhich direct the air towards cylinder 21 of engine 10 to cool thecylinder.

A centrifugal clutch is mounted on a hub 18 secured to flywheel 11. Byway of a resilient intermediate element 24 and an intermediate flange36, the output element 22 of clutch 20 is connected to an intermediateshaft 26 journaled at both ends in the main casing 65 of the machine. Apinion 38 is mounted on shaft 26 and meshes with a gear 40 on crankshaft42. Crankshaft 42 is journaled at both ends in the casing in bearings44, 46 and is above the intermediate shaft 26 and the engine outputshaft 12 and parallel thereto.

A connecting rod 50 is mounted on throw 48 of crankshaft 42 by means ofa bearing 51. As can be seen in FIG. 2, connecting rod 50 is wide with acentral opening 52 enabling the rod 50 to encircle intermediate shaft26. The small end of the connecting rod has a bearing 54 by which itconnects to a pin of a frame 56 of a spring oscillating set. This springset can be of the kind disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,636,834. Frame 56comprises upper and lower cross-members 61,62 interconnected by parallelrods 63. Rods 63 are guided in bearings 64 at the bottom end of maincasing 65. A lower casing 67 has an upper end wall 68 and is connectedto a tamping or ramming tool 66. Rods 63 are journaled in bearings 69 incasing 57. Compression springs 70, 71 are provided between, on the onehand, the upper cross-member 61 and the top of end wall 68 and, on theother hand, between the lower crossmember 62 and the bottom of end wall68. This forms a spring oscillating set whose moving mass is primarilydefined by the tool 66 and casing 67. It is oscillated by way of thereciprocating frame 56 and the springs 70, 71.

The upper casing 65 is connected by bellows 72 to the casing 67. Wall 68has an aperture 73. Casing 67 is full of oil in which the cross-member62 reciprocates as a piston, as disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 3,538,821.This sprays the oil through aperture 73 into bearings 64 and into theinterior of the casing containing the crank drive. A guide or controlhoop 60 is secured to casing 65 by means of rubber elements 58.

We claim:

1. in a hand manipulated tamping apparatus comprising an upper casing, atamping tool device below said casing, a crank device in the casing,,aspring oscillating set connecting the drive and the device, a flangemounted diesel engine secured to the casing and having a drive shaft,and a gear drive connecting the engine drive shaft and the crank drive,the improvement comprising:

said drives including an intermediate shaft coaxial with the enginedrive shaft, a pinion mounted on the intermediate shaft, a crankshaftmounted above the intermediate shaft and parallel thereto, a gearmounted on the crankshaft and engaging said pinion, and a connecting rodhaving an upper and lower end and an opening therebetween, the upper endbeing connected to the crankshaft, the lower end being connected to saidoscillating set, said intermediate shaft extending through said openingwith the connecting rod thereby encircling said intermediate shaft.

2. In an apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said engine driveshaft is horizontal and is approximately at the center of said maincasing.

3. In an apparatus as set forth in claim 2, including a heavy flywheelfor said engine, said flywheel being on the engine drive shaft andpositioned within said casing and beyond the flange mounting of theengine.

4. In an apparatus as set forth in claim 3, including a fan rotormounted on said engine drive shaft, said casing having channels throughwhich said rotor may draw air into the casing and air dischargeapertures directed at said engine.

5. In an apparatus as set forth in claim 4 including a centrifugalclutch and a flexible shaft connector in series between the engine driveshaft and the intermediate shaft.

6. In an apparatus as set forth in claim 1 including a centrifugalclutch and a flexible shaft connector in series between the engine driveshaft and the intermediate shaft.

Patent No. ,856,426 Dated December 24, 1974 Inventor( )Hans-GeorgWaschulewski and Hans Baumers It is certified that error appears in theabove-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are herebycorrected as shown below:

Priority No. 2236371. should read -P 22 36 37l.9-

Col. 1, line 31 "tools" should read -tool- Col. 4, line 5 "device."should read --drive-- Signed and sealed this 4th day of March 1975.

(SEAL) Attest:

C. MARSHALL DANN RUTH C. I- ASON Commissioner of Patents AttestingOfficer and Trademarks -'ORM PO-IOSO (10-69) uscoMM-Dc scan-P09 h 0.5.GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE I909 0-366-834,

1. In a hand manipulated tamping apparatus comprising an upper casing, atamping tool device below said casing, a crank device in the casing, aspring oscillating set connecting the drive and the device, aflange-mounted diesel engine secured to the casing and having a driveshaft, and a gear drive connecting the engine drive shaft and the crankdrive, the improvement comprising: said drives including an intermediateshaft coaxial with the engine drive shaft, a pinion mounted on theintermediate shaft, a crankshaft mounted above the intermediate shaftand parallel thereto, a gear mounted on the crankshaft and engaging saidpinion, and a connecting rod having an upper and lower end and anopening therebetween, the upper end being connected to the crankshaft,the lower end being connected to said oscillating set, said intermediateshaft extending through said opening with the connecting rod therebyencircling said intermediate shaft.
 2. In an apparatus as set forth inclaim 1, wherein said engine drive shaft is horizontal and isapproximately at the center of said main casing.
 3. In an apparatus asset forth in claim 2, including a heavy flywheel for said engine, saidflywheel being on the engine drive shaft and positioned within saidcasing and beyond the flange mounting of the engine.
 4. In an apparatusas set forth in claim 3, including a fan rotor mounted on said enginedrive shaft, said casing having channels through which said rotor maydraw air into the casing and air discharge apertures directed at saidengine.
 5. In an apparatus as set forth in claim 4 including acentrifugal clutch and a flexible shaft connector in series between theengine drive shaft and the intermediate shaft.
 6. In an apparatus as setforth in claim 1 including a centrifugal clutch and a flexible shaftconnector in series between the engine drive shaft and the intermediateshaft.